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News Release
Friday, February 1, 2008
NCCAM’s Advisory Council Welcomes Six New Members
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) welcomes six new members to the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NACCAM). The Council serves as the principal advisory body to NCCAM, the lead Federal agency for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) research and a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The Council is composed of physicians, scientists, licensed CAM practitioners, and members of the public who contribute their time and expertise over a 4-year term. Members meet three times per year offering advice and recommendations on prioritization, conduct, and support of CAM research, including research training and communication of evidence-based health information.
New NACCAM members include:
Timothy C. Birdsall, N.D., F.A.B.N.O., Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Zion, IL
Boyd W. Bowden, II, D.O., Doctors Hospital and Orthopedic and Neurological Consultants, Inc., Columbus, OH
Gert Bronfort, D.C., Ph.D., Northwestern Health Sciences University, Bloomington, MN
Lupo T. Carlota, M.D., Dip. Ac., Medical Acupuncture Research Institute of America, Memphis, TN
Shin Lin, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, CA
Herman A. Taylor, Jr., M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A., University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
Timothy C. Birdsall, N.D., F.A.B.N.O., is vice president for integrative medicine at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), Zion, IL, and a naturopathic medicine practitioner in the Department of Naturopathic Medicine at the CTCA's Midwestern Regional Medical Center. Dr. Birdsall's research focuses on micronutrients as adjuncts to cancer chemotherapy and the role of melatonin in the treatment of lung cancer. He received his doctor of naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University, Seattle, WA, where he was clinical instructor in naturopathic medicine and midwifery for 5 years. Dr. Birdsall, a Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology, is a member of several professional organizations, including the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Society for Integrative Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, for which he served as vice president, member of the board of directors, and speaker for the house of delegates. A well-published researcher, he was founding editor-in-chief of Alternative Medicine Review.
Boyd W. Bowden, II, D.O., is an active staff member in the Orthopedics Department at Doctors Hospital, Columbus, OH, and is on staff at Orthopedic and Neurological Consultants, Inc., also in Columbus. He earned his doctor of osteopathy from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, MO, where he later served as associate professor for orthopedic surgery. A fellow of the American Osteopathic Association of Orthopedics, the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, and the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons, Dr. Bowden has served as president of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and on the board of trustees of the Ohio Osteopathic Association. He was on the advisory board for the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine where he was also associate professor for orthopedic surgery. A team physician at the high school and collegiate level, Dr. Bowden served as a physician consultant for the Columbus Public School System.
Gert Bronfort, D.C., Ph.D., is a research professor and associate vice president of research at Northwestern Health Sciences University (NWHSU), Bloomington, MN, and senior clinical researcher at the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies at NWHSU. He received his doctor of chiropractic from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto, Canada, and his doctorate in extramural medicine from Vrije University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Dr. Bronfort has consulted for the World Health Organization's Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Alternative Medicine and served on the advisory board for the Chiropractic Research Agenda Committee for the U.S. Veterans Administration. His current research focuses on chiropractic care for low back pain, neck pain, and massage for tension-type headache. A well-published researcher, Dr. Bronfort has served as a reviewer for The European Chiropractic Journal, Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics, PAIN, Canadian Medical Association Journal, and the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group, and is a member of The Spine Journal advisory editorial board.
Lupo T. Carlota, M.D., Dip. Ac., is president and founder of the Medical Acupuncture Research Institute of America, Memphis, TN. The institute's mission is to advance the scientific study and practice of acupuncture. He received his doctor of medicine from the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines, and completed his psychiatry residency at Warren State Hospital, Warren, PA. Dr. Carlota developed the Meridian Regulatory Acupuncture System of Therapy and formulated the "Quantum Theory of Acupuncture" to explain the scientific mechanisms of acupuncture. He served on the Advisory Committee for the 2005 White House Conference on Aging, and the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. He chaired the commission's health subcommittee, which developed the report, "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Addressing Health Disparities: Opportunities for Building a Healthier America." Dr. Carlota, a former president of the Association of Philippine Physicians in America, received the Pamana Ng Bayan (Legacy of the Nation) Award in 1993 from then Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos for his contributions to the field of medicine including "pioneering efforts in modern scientific acupuncture research." He now serves as chairman of the American Board of Acupuncture Medicine.
Shin Lin, Ph.D., holds professorships in developmental and cell biology, physiology and biophysics, and biomedical engineering at the University of California, Irvine, CA, (UCI). He also serves on the advisory board and faculty of UCI's Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Lin received his doctorate in biological chemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a long-time practitioner of qi gong, tai chi, and Chinese martial arts. He is the founder of the International Alliance for Mind-Body Signaling and Energy Research, which focuses on using high-tech approaches to measuring physiological and bioenergetic changes associated with mind-body practices and therapies. He also studies mechanisms of action for natural products that affect the cytoskeleton and cellular movements. Dr. Lin, a member of many professional organizations, is co-chair of the World Congress on Qi Gong. He has over 200 publications and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Chinese Medicine.
Herman A. Taylor, Jr., M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.C., F.A.H.A., is professor of medicine and attending physician in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, where he also holds the Aaron Shirley Endowed Chair for the Study of Health Disparities. He is also a visiting professor of biology in the Division of Natural Sciences at Tougaloo College, Tougaloo, MS, and clinical professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine at Jackson State University, Jackson, MS. Dr. Taylor earned his doctor of medicine from Harvard Medical School and his master of public health from Harvard School of Public Health. A fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, his specialty is internal medicine with a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease. Dr. Taylor, a recipient of many honors such as the Herbert W. Nickens Award for Excellence in Epidemiological Research, leads the Jackson Heart Study investigating heart disease in over 5,000 African Americans in Mississippi. This study is the largest of its kind in African Americans and also has a focus on training new and minority investigators. A member of many professional organizations, including the American Medical Association and the National Medical Association, Dr. Taylor has numerous publications and has served on the NIH study section review panel for clinical and integrative cardiovascular science.
To learn more about the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine please visit: http://nccam.nih.gov/about/advisory/naccam/.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine's mission is to explore complementary and alternative medical practices in the context of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and disseminate authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM's Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.
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